Trough in the daytime F layer: A macroscopic effect of ionospheric-magnetospheric convection

Technical Report · Thu May 03 04:00:00 EDT 1990

OSTI ID:6193479

Whalen, J A

The daytime F layer trough is a major result of ionospheric-magnetospheric convection, appearing in the winter high latitude ionosphere as a continuous band thousands of kilometers in extent in which the daytime F layer electron density is depleted, often by an order of magnitude. As observed by a global array of ionospheric sounders during solar maximum, the trough occurs in regions of sunward convection, in the morning corresponding to the dawn cell and in the afternoon corresponding to the dusk cell. The formation of the trough is consistent with the transport of low density nighttime plasma into the day sector where it displaces high density daytime plasma, although other mechanisms such as ion chemical effects may also play a role.

• Research Organization: Air Force Geophysics Lab., Hanscom AFB, MA (United States)
• OSTI ID: 6193479
• Report Number(s): AD-P-006270/3/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

661320* -- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (1992-)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
AURORAL OVAL
CONVECTION
DAILY VARIATIONS
DISTURBANCES
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
ELECTRON DENSITY
ENERGY TRANSFER
F REGION
GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATIONS
HEAT TRANSFER
INTERACTIONS
IONOSPHERE
LATITUDE EFFECT
MASS TRANSFER
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA DRIFT
VARIATIONS